Chapter 5: Quaxo Mistoffelees
It took awhile for them to find the dishwasher in question. The Rum Tum Tugger's description was accurate, but vague. They weren't sure where to the east or how far. It took a couple hours before they actually found it. By then, the sun was beginning to set.
They went up to the dishwasher and gave it a couple solid raps.
"Think we'll learn anything new here?" Jazz asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she turned and looked at Bageera who was kneeling and looking at the dirt. "You alright?"
"Fine," Bageera said, standing.
The door to the dishwasher opened and a small black tuxedo cat looked out. He smiled pleasantly, not at all concerned about the new faces.
"Good evening," he said. "May I help you?"
"You must be Mistoffelees," Jazz said.
"Yes," the tuxedo said.
"We would like to ask you some questions about last night," Jazz said.
"Oh," Mistoffelees said. "You must be the two looking for Macavity. Come in, come in."
Mistoffelees opened the door wider and let the two outsiders in without further question. Jazz and Bageera stepped in and looked around. The floor was padded with different scraps of clothes and pillows. It was very nice.
"Please," Mistoffelees said, motioning towards a pile of clothes. "Have a seat."
They did and once everyone was settled and introductions were made, they got back to business.
"What do you remember seeing last night?" Jazz asked.
"I saw a lot," Mistoffelees said. "But I had to leave in the middle of Gus's rendition of 'Growltiger's Last Stand.' I had forgotten something in my other den. I was looking for it when the Rum Tum Tugger found me and said Macavity was here. On our way back, we ran into the Jellicle in question. We tried to fight him off, but he got a lucky shot and Tugger went down."
"And you let Macavity get away?" Bageera asked.
"I had little choice," Mistoffelees said, calmly. "I had to attend to Tugger's injury. Plus there was still Old Deuteronomy."
"Why didn't you use your magic to help at all?" Bageera asked. "I mean, you must have had something that would have stopped the Napoleon of Crime."
"I didn't know if Tugger knew who I was yet. And I didn't want to risk my position in the tribe by revealing myself." There was a slight pause as Mistoffelees thought for a moment. "Especially not in front of the Rum Tum. He sponsored me. If he knew he had sponsored one who was already refused, he might have driven me out then and there."
"So when you finally did get to the clearing, and it was too late to stop Macavity, that's when you decided to show your true colors?" Jazz asked, trying to get back on track.
"Yes."
"It's a good thing you were there at that moment," Bageera said, genuinely. "Who knows what Macavity would have done if you hadn't rescued Old Deuteronomy."
Mistoffelees nodded. Bageera looked around at the dishwasher.
"We hear you moved in here recently," he said. "Very recently."
"Yes," Mistoffelees said. "I just moved in this morning, after the Ball. Been getting it organized all day."
"It's nice in here," Bageera said, getting up and walking around, examining this and that. "Very nice."
"Thank you," Mistoffelees said, his smile widening.
"Not very close to the main tribe, though," Bageera said with a frown. "I mean, it took us a couple hours just to make our way here." Bageera let out a small chuckle. "Where's your old den? Is it even further than this one?"
"No," Mistoffelees said. "This one is further."
"Really?" Bageera said. "Must be inconvenient."
"I manage."
"I don't imagine you getting much company out here, being so far away from everything and all."
"True," Mistoffelees said. "You two are my first visitors. But that's why I moved in the first place."
"Why's that?" Bageera asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
"Well," Mistoffelees said. "Now that I no longer need to pose as Quaxo, I can practice my magic more openly. And that can get dangerous. It wouldn't do to have one of the kittens walk right into a stray jolt of electricity or something like that."
"Not at all," Bageera said. "Especially since that was why you were denied entry in the first place, right?"
Mistoffelees' smile wavered for a second.
"What kind of powers do you have exactly?" Bageera asked.
"What do you mean?" Mistoffelees asked.
"We've heard a lot of different reports on what kind of spells you do," Bageera explained. "But we want to hear your definition. How did you even get them?"
Mistoffelees was silent for a while. "I was born with some abilities," he said at last. "I had to train hard, though, to get where I am today."
"I can imagine," Bageera said.
There was silence for a few moments before Bageera couldn't help himself anymore.
"What's your opinion of Mungojerrie?" he asked.
Jazz slapped his arm, but Mistoffelees answered anyway.
"He used to work for Macavity," he said. "Now he's just a petty thief with his sister." Mistoffelees looked at them both, a look of worry spreading across his face. "You don't think he had anything to do with last night, do you?"
Bageera smiled as he rose to his feet. "Never mind. Just an old grudge. We won't take up anymore of your time."
He grabbing Jazz by the arm and lifted her to her feet. They began to make their way to the door before Bageera stopped and turned around.
"This may sound a little foolish," he said sheepishly. "But would you mind showing us some of the things you do?"
Mistoffelees smiled wide. He was always willing to do a show.
"Not at all," he said. "But perhaps we should take this outside."
"Of course."
xxx
"Well," Jazz asked.
"Well what?" Bageera asked back.
Mistoffelees had entertained them for about half an hour before he said he was too tired to continue. He had said that doing a show was exhausting if done for too long. It was quite a show. No real way to do any of it unless you really had powers.
"You asked about his powers and den location for a reason, I assume. Share."
Bageera smiled. "He had a visitor before us."
"Really?" Jazz said. "I didn't sense any lies from him."
Bageera nodded. "According to him, he's been there all day, and we were his first guests. Meaning he hasn't spoken to any of the other Jellicles here since well before we showed up."
"Okay," Jazz said, trying to get to the finish before Bageera.
"So how did he know we were looking for Macavity?"
Jazz was silent for a moment. How had she missed that?
"Any idea who this visitor was?" Jazz asked.
Bageera shook his head. "But I think we may have just missed whoever it was."
"Any idea why they were there?"
"Could be something as innocent as well wishing. But then, he wouldn't need to lie about it."
"True," Jazz said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"
Bageera stared off into space for a while, ignoring Jazz's question. He was thinking, and Jazz knew better than to disturb him when he was thinking. They walked in silence through the night. Jazz led Bageera into the den they were given permission to use and sat him down on an old pillow, leaning him back against a wall. She sat down next to him. After a while, she began to doze off.
xxx
Jazz was just about to drift off to sleep when Bageera spoke.
"He wasn't allowed in."
"What?" Jazz asked.
"Mistoffelees wasn't allowed into the tribe," Bageera said. "He was denied entrance."
"Yeah," Jazz said. "Because Old Deuteronomy thought his powers were dangerous."
"No," Bageera said, shaking his head, slowly. "No. That might be the reason he gave to the tribe. But that's not the real reason."
"What's the real reason, then?" Jazz asked.
"Oh, come on," Bageera said. "You don't realize what he is?"
"No," Jazz said. "What is he?"
"He's a magician," Bageera said. "He has real powers. What he does is real. They aren't tricks. They aren't smoke or mirrors. It's all real. One hundred percent real."
"Okay," Jazz said. "It's all real. What does it mean?"
"He's not a full Jellicle," Bageera said. "I'd be surprised if he were even half Jellicle. Old Deuteronomy knew this. That's why he didn't let Mistoffelees in."
"Because he's less than half Jellicle?"
"No," Bageera said. "Because he's more than half Grimalkin."
xxx
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